germany, but still a free city protected by the western powers. in 1958, there was an ultimatum. the west had to be out of berlin in six months or else. this was a crisis, the gravest crisis of the cold war up to that point. the prez -- the press, congress, and the administration thought if meant war. we needed resolve to beef up the troops' strength and defy the red army. meeting privately with the leaders, president eisenhower said we're not going to do that. indeed, he said, we're cutting forces in germany by 50,000 men. his advisers and the congressmen bewildered. cut the troop strength? won't that show weakness? ike was all alone and heavily criticized in the press. he seemed utterly unphased. eisenhower had a great capacity to take responsibility. he may have seen that famous photograph taken of ike on the eve of d-day in june 1944. general eisenhower, the supreme allied commander, wearing normal uniform, talking to a group of paratroopers, geared up, faces blackened, ready to jump mind german lines. ike came to see the men because he was to